Sewing machine attachment



Ari! 195 R. w. BURGESS ET AL 2,592,653

SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT Filed May 4, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l R. W.BURGESS ET AL April 15, 1952 SEWING MACHINE ATTACHMENT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Filed May 4, 1949 ATTORNEY6 Patented Apr. 15, 1952 1SEWINGMACHINEATTACHMENT Robert w. Burgess, Bridgeport, Carl G. Baehr,

West Haven,

and John Connors, Hamden,

Cnn., assignors to The Greist Manufacturing :Company, New Haven, Conn, acorporation of Connecticut Application May .4, 1949, Serial No."91',292

4-Claims. (Cl. 112-460) This invention relates to an attachment forsewing machines and more particularly to an attachment which may beapplied to the ordinary sewing machine designed for household use.

It is desirable that a household sewing machine be equipped foraccomplishing many kinds of work in addition to plain sewing, and thepresent invention relates to an attachment which is designed to performsuch work as hemrning, for example, and to effect a so-called blindstitch in sewing a hem. To effect this result the attachment is adaptedto produce a number of stitches in a line and at regular intervalsproduce an offset stitch or a stitch spaced fromthe line of stitchesabove referred to.

This is effected by means of a workholder or foot which is adapted-to beshifted to one side at regular intervals in the operation of the machineand then to be returned toits original position so that the stitch orstitches made after the work has been shifted will lie in a lineparallel to, but spaced from, the line of stitches made when theworkholder is in its usual or normal position. The normal position isthat occupied by the workholder the greater part of the time.

It is contemplated by the invention toprovide a blind-stitch or hemmingattachment which will be of very simple construction and which may bemanufactured at a relatively low cost, and which at the same time willbe satisfactory in operation and relatively easy for the operator toattach and use.

One object of the present invention .isto provide a new and improvedhemming attachment for household sewing machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hemming orblind-stitch attachment for sewing machines which will be of relativelysimple construction and will be provided with relatively few movingparts subject to wear.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hemming orblind-stitch attachment for sewing machines comprising elements whichmay be readily and accurately manufactured and assembled into acompleted device which will operate in a satisfactory manner.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a sewingmachine attachmentembodying our improvements;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the attachment;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the attachment;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line -4-4.of Fig. 1;

Fig. 51s a perspective view-of the forward end of the workholding foot;and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cam.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, we have shown inthe drawings a sewingmachine attachment comprising a supporting frame ofU-shaped form, this frame having a base or web l0 and upstandingparallel spaced sides H and i2, the base beingiextended beyond the sidesatboth forward and rear ends thereof. Se- I cured between the sides IIand i2 is the adapter i3 having a-recess I4 adapted to receive thepresser bar of the usual sewing machine, andan opening IE to receive thescrew by Which the attachment may be secured to the presser bar. Theadapter is rigidly securedto the frame so that the attachment may beproperly held in place uponthe presser bar.

Rctatably mounted between the spaced upright members if and I2, as shownmore especially in Fig. 4, is a shaftlfi, this shaft having a reducedend ll mounted in the side-member l2 and provided at .the other end withreduced or shoulder portions l3 and l9which are disposed exteriorly ofthe side member ll. Secured upon the shaft by a set screw 29 is a hub2|, this hub being urged against the side member I! by a spring washer22 which fits over the end I! of the shaft.

As shown more especially in Figs. 4 and 6, this hub is provided withreduced. end portions 24 of non-circular form and camdisks 25 and 26 aremounted upon these reduced ends, the disks having non-circular openingstherein whereby they will be -non-rotatably mounted on the hub. It willbe seen that the disks are thus held against rotation upon the hub andas shown they are held against lateral or axial movement by reason ofthe fact that the metal of the reduced ends of the hub is staked over atspaced points, as shown at 21, against the inner portions of the disks.The latter will, therefore, be securely positioned upon the hub againstany movement relative to the hub.

These disks are provided with cam surfaces 28 and 29, the former beingoffset outwardly with respect to the center of the hub and the latterbeing offset inwardly with respect to the hub, the offsets beingrelative to the remainder of the periphery of the disks. While as manyof these camming offset surfacesmay be provided around the periphery ofthe disks as is desired, only one is shown in the drawings, so that asillustrated and as will be hereinafter explained, only one offset stitchwould be performed during a com- 3 plete revolution of the cam memberwhich comprises the hub and disks.

Rotatably mounted upon the portion l8 of the shaft I6 is a fork arm 30which serves as the actuating arm of the attachment and which isdesigned to be connected with the needle bar in a well-known manner.Pivotally carried by the fork arm 30 is a pawl 3| adapted to be engagedwith a ratchet wheel 32 rigidly or non-rotatably secured on the portion[9 of the shaft I5 of the cam. The pawl 3| is urged against the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel by the spring 33. As will be obvious, during thereciprocation of the needle bar the fork arm will be oscillated withrespect to the shaft I6 and the engagement of thepawl with the teeth ofthe ratchet wheel 32 will effect a step-by-step movement of the shaft l6and the cam members carried thereby.

A lever 35 is pivoted at 36 to the base or web member H at the underside thereof. Rearwardly of the pivot this member abuts the base closelyand is provided with a pin 37 which extends upwardly through an opening38 in the web member and upon its upper end carries a roller 39 which isdisposed between the cam disks 25 and 26. Adjacent its rear end, thelever 35 is provided with a slot 4|] which receives a pin 4| secured tothe base, the pin being provided with an enlarged head 42 below thelever'35 to hold the lever against the base.

Forwardly of the pivot 36, the lever 35 is provided with an inclinedportion 43 and this member then extends forwardly and is provided with apresser foot 44 adjacent its forward end, which presser foot is providedon its underside with a roughened surface 45 to engage the material uponwhich the attachment is operated.

The presser foot 44 is provided with a laterally elongated needleopening 45 and a forwardly extending slot 41, and a cloth guide 48extends downwardly through this slot. As shown more especially in Figs.1 and 5, the lower surface of this cloth guide extends upwardly as at 49and this member is provided with a laterally extending arm 50 whichoverlies a portion of the presser foot and is secured to a flexibleplate-like spring member This member is secured to the presser foot by apin 52 which extends through an elongated slot 53 in the spring.

The spring member 5! is inclined downwardly at its side edges as shownat 54 so that it is urged into frictional engagement with the lowersurface of the head of the pin 52. A finger piece 55 is provided on thespring member by which it may be adjusted laterally with respect to thepresser foot in Order to adjust the cloth guide 58. When the springmember is moved laterally to dispose the cloth guide in its properposition, its frictional engagement with the head of the pin 52 willhold it in the adjusted position.

In operation the fork arm 30 is oscillated in a vertical plane by themovement of the needle bar to which it is attached. As previouslydescribed, the oscillations of the fork arm will, through the engagementof the pawl 3| with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 32, effect rotationof the cam, comprising the hub 2i and the disks 25 and 26, in astep-by-step movement. So long as the roller 39 upon the pin 37 engagesthe straight portion of the cam track between the disks 25 and 26,the'workholding presser foot 44 will not be moved and the result will bestraight or plain sewing just as might be done if the attachment werenot used. When, however, the cam member has been moved to the positionin which the roller 39 upon the pin 31 engages the cam surfaces 28 and29, this pin and the rear end of the lever 35 will be moved laterally,thus moving the workholding presser foot, and the material which isbeing operated upon, laterally so as to effect a stitch at one side ofthe line of stitches previously made. When the cam has been movedthrough a further step by continued oscillation of the fork arm 30, theroller 39 will again enter the straight portion of the cam track and thepresser foot will be shifted back to its former position and stitchingwill be resumed in the line followed previously to the shifting of thepresser foot by the cam surfaces 28 and 29.

As shown, the ratchet wheel 32 is provided with twelve teeth and the camsurfaces 28 and 29 are provided at only one place upon the cam disks 25and 26 so that there is a lateral shifting and, therefore, a zig-zagstitch once in every twelve stitches made by the sewing machine. If itis desired that the zig-zag stitches be made more often, additional camsurfaces may be provided about the disks 25 and 26.

The cam disks 25 and 26 are of sheet metal and may be readilymanufactured by a stamping operation and secured to the hub2l. Thus, thecam assembly may be manufactured very economically.

It may be noted that the section of the foot 44 at one side of the slot41 i shaped differently from the section on the other side of the slot.Each of these sections has a horizontal portion and an upwardly directedend portion. However, the upwardly directed end 51 of one section islonger and the horizontal portion shorter than in the case of thecorresponding part 58 of the other section and the end 51 is brought upon a gradual curve." This enables the foot to pass over a fold in thematerial on which work is being done.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of ourinvention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all ofthe details shown, but is capable of modification and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. Cloth-guiding means for the Work-holding foot of a sewing-machineattachment, said means comprising a cloth guide, and a member on whichsaid guide is carried, said memberbe ing of resilient material andhaving a bowed por tion provided witha slot and a fastening memberpassing through said slot and engaged with the foot for frictionallyholding the cloth guide in adjusted positions on the foot.

2. In a sewing machine attachment, a frame having upstanding side wallsthrough a portion of its length, a shaft journalled in said side wallsand extending laterally beyond one of said walls, a ratchet wheel fixedto the extended end of said shaft, a fork arm pivotally embracing saidshaft between said ratchet wheel and the adjacent side wall and carryinga pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, a hub fixedly secured on said shaftbetween said side walls and having reduced end portions, cam disks fixedto the reduced end portions of said hub and forming between them a camtrack, and a lever pivoted to said frame at the under portion thereofforwardly of the vertical transverse plane of said shaft and extendingforwardly and rearwardly from its pivot, said lever carrying rearwardlyof its pivot and upstanding member disposed within said cam track, saidlever being povided forwardly of its pivot with a work-holding foot.

3. In a sewing machine attachment, a frame having upstanding side wallsthrough a portion of its length, a shaft journalled in said side wallsand extending laterally beyond one of said walls, a ratchet wheel fixedto the extended end of said shaft, a fork arm pivotally embracing saidshaft between said ratchet wheel and the adjacent side wall and carryinga pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, a hub fixedly secured on said shaftbetween said side walls and having reduced end portions, cam disks fixedto the reduced end portions of said hub and forming between them a camtrack, and a lever pivoted to said frame at the under portion thereofforwardly of the vertical transverse plane of said shaft and extendingforwardly and rearwardly from its pivot, said lever carrying rearwardlyof its pivot an upstanding member disposed within said cam track, saidlever being provided forwardly of its pivot with a work-holding foot,said foot being disposed below the plane of the main portion of saidlever and being connected to the lever by an integral upwardly andrearwardly sloping portion.

4. In a sewing machine attachment, a frame having upstanding side wallsthrough a portion of its length, a shaft journalled in said side wallsand extending laterally beyond one of said walls, a ratchet wheel fixedto the extended end of said shaft, a fork arm pivotally embracing saidshaft between said ratchet wheel and the adjacent side wall and carryinga pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, a hub fixedly secured on said shaftbetween said side walls and having reduced end portions, cam disks fixedto the reduced end portions of said hub and forming between them a camtrack, and a lever pivoted to said frame at the under portion thereofforwardly of the vertical transverse plane of said shaft and extendingforwardly and rearwardly from its pivot, said lever carrying rearwardlyof its pivot an upstanding member disposed within said cam track, saidlever being provided forwardly of its pivot with a work-holding foot,said foot being disposed below the plane of the main portion of saidlever and being connected to the lever by an integral upwardly andrearwardly sloping portion, said foot having a slot extending to itsforward end and having a cloth guide member extending downwardly throughsaid slot and laterally adjustable in the slot.

ROBERT W. BURGESS.

CARL G. BAEHR.

JOHN CONNORS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,270,728 Harriman June 25, 19182,374,721 Bacon et al. May 21, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date487,217 Germany Dec.. 4, 1929 666,932 Germany Nov. 1, 1938

